Autism is a neurotype (the way the brain is structured). It is characterised by differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of thinking and behaviour compared to non-Autistic folks and is a natural variation in how people experience and interact with the world. Assessing autism in adults involves understanding your personal history, current experiences, and neurodivergent traits through interviews, questionnaires, and possibly input from family or others who know you well and then using the DSM-5-TR as the diagnostic tool. My assessments focus on identifying your strengths and challenges to provide a holistic understanding of your individual context. My goal is to provide a thorough and respectful assessment that helps you better understand yourself and your needs.

A neurodiversity affirming approach means recognising and respecting neurodivergent traits as natural variations of human experience rather than deficits. My focus is on understanding your unique strengths, challenges, and needs without imposing judgment or pathologising your identity. This approach is collaborative and tailored to support your goals. As a clinician who provides neurodiversity affirming care, I have undergone many years of unlearning and relearning core philosophies and approaches to my work, ensuring that I can provide ethical treatment to all clients. To be truly neurodiversity affirming takes significant time and it remains an ongoing process of decolonising.

An autism assessment can help you gain deeper self-understanding and access accommodations or supports that align with your needs. Many adults seek assessments to validate their experiences, navigate relationships, or inform their work and/or education environments. Diagnosis may also provide access to additional supports such as disability specific organisations, or the NDIS. Knowing more about yourself can be empowering. It is your due diligence to decide if you would like a formal assessment as a diagnosis can impact access to some workplaces and insurances.

Yes, I screen for ADHD as part of my autism assessments through brief interview, records review, and observation. However, I do not provide a formal ADHD diagnosis. In my experience many clients seeking an ADHD diagnosis wish to explore medical treatments, such as medication, which requires a psychiatrist to complete a full assessment. By screening for ADHD, I can provide insights that may help guide further evaluation, hopefully saving you time and money when working with a psychiatrist.

Currently, my services are only available to clients based in Australia due to licensing and legal considerations. If you are outside Australia, I recommend seeking a local clinician familiar with neurodivergent-affirming assessments.

Absolutely. Many clients come to me with a strong sense of self-identification. My role is to provide a formal assessment that explores your experience and supports your goals. If you are not ready to undertake a full assessment but would like to consult with me regarding potential self-identification, please go to my assessment page to learn more about that.

I have attempted to make this process as cost effective yet rigorous as possible – balancing the ethics of a society that provides no publicly funded adult autism assessments with a need for me to create my own neurodiversity affirming small business. As such, after booking your appointment and paying the non-refundable deposit, you will complete a history questionnaire asking you about your life from your birth, to the present. Not in significant detail, dot points are welcomed. If you have any relevant documents like school reports or past assessments, please do send them to me. Upon receipt, I will review all of your information and will send several short questionnaires. While these questionnaires do have ‘cut off’ scores, I want you to know that it is improper practice for a clinician to rule-out autism solely from a score on a standardised questionnaire. I will use these questionnaires to supplement our interview using the MIGDAS which comes next – three hours via telehealth. After that, I will review all information, write a brief report, and we will meet again for a short 30 minutes to discuss the findings. The process is collaborative, designed to help you feel heard and understood and I encourage you to express your needs at any time should I need to adjust my process. Please know that I will do my best to adjust my model to suit you, however, I must also honour my own needs

The entire assessment process usually takes 4-8 weeks, depending on factors such as our availability and my access to supervision. After our assessment session, I will prepare a brief report, which will be shared with you at our 30 minute feedback session. It is very important that all forms are completed prior to our session, as I need time to review the information before the assessment.

After the assessment, you will receive a brief report detailing the findings, including your strengths, challenges, and recommendations for accommodations or supports which I will share with you at our feedback session. I’ll also provide guidance on next steps, such as accessing services, self-advocacy, or resources for further learning. As the report is only brief (approximately 3 pages), I do not recommend that you use this for an NDIS or DSP application alone; further functional capacity assessment is required generally from a second practitioner.

I aim to make the assessment process as supportive and accommodating as possible, however, going through a rigorous assessment that discusses lifelong challenges can be difficult process. You’ll have time to ask questions, complete tasks at your own pace, and provide input on how best to structure our session. If something feels overwhelming, please let me know either in our session or beforehand via email so that we can work together to create a plan of accommodation.

You’ll need a reliable internet connection, a computer or device with a camera and microphone, and a private, quiet space where you feel comfortable talking. If you encounter technical difficulties, I’m happy to help troubleshoot or offer alternative solutions. Sometimes if the internet is dodgy we can use the video on the laptop but use the audio from a telephone call.

Yes, you are welcome to have a support person (or animal!) with you. They can help you feel more comfortable and may contribute valuable insights if you’d like them involved. However, their presence is entirely optional. If you want, your support person can contribute by sharing observations or helping you recall experiences. This can be especially helpful for exploring your childhood or identifying patterns over time. Their level of involvement is up to you. Please be mindful of confidentiality and protecting your privacy.

To prepare for your assessment, you might find it helpful to: Reflect on your experiences, particularly in areas like communication, sensory preferences, and daily routines. Gather relevant documents, such as school reports, past assessments, or medical records if available. Think about your goals for the assessment — what do you hope to learn or achieve?

While not mandatory, documents like school reports, past assessments, or medical records can provide valuable context, especially for understanding your development over time. Please send these to me prior to your assessment session so that I have time to review them with all your other information. If you don’t have access to these, we can still proceed with the assessment. If you do not have any previous records I would encourage you to speak to people who knew you well as a child (e.g. parents, cousins, long term friends) and ask them some specific questions.

That’s okay! Not everyone has detailed memories of their childhood, and this won’t prevent us from conducting a thorough assessment. If possible, a support person who knew you as a child can share insights, but this is optional. We’ll focus on your current experiences and patterns if my questions cannot help you to recall earlier experiences.

Absolutely. If you have specific concerns or topics you’d like to discuss, feel free to write them down and bring them to our session or email them to me beforehand to address in session. This can help ensure we address what’s most important to you. Also – you don’t need to ask questions as that’s my job during the assessment process.

If you’re feeling curious about whether autism may explain your experiences, or if you’re seeking clarity for personal understanding, workplace accommodations, or accessing support, you’re likely ready. You don’t need to feel 100% certain—many clients start the process with questions, and that’s completely normal. In my experience, non-autistic people do not wonder if they are autistic…

The costs are detailed on my website, but for the generic adult autism assessment, it is $1500 (20% non-refundable deposit required at booking). I aim to provide clear value while keeping costs transparent

Currently, adult autism assessments are not covered by Medicare for people aged 25 years and older. There are some rebates available for 18-24 year olds and I recommend thoroughly reading the Medicare website and talking to your GP. Generally, private health insurers do not provide rebates for complex assessments, however some may provide partial rebates. I recommend checking with your provider to confirm coverage details.

No, I do not have capacity to offer payment plans or discounts.

Yes, your privacy is a top priority. All information shared during the assessment is confidential and securely stored in my practice management software (Halaxy). I will only share details with others if you provide explicit consent, except where required by law (e.g., safety concerns). More details on this is provided in my informed consent form.

Your brief report will provide a clear overview of the findings according to the DSM-5-TR, including a diagnosis (or not), your strengths, areas of challenge, and tailored recommendations for accommodations or support. It is written with you in mind, so it’s useful for personal reflection and practical applications. It is only a brief diagnostic summary, not a comprehensive report. Generally these reports are about 3 pages long.

Yes. The decision to disclose your diagnosis is entirely yours. I’ll provide guidance on how to share your diagnosis if you wish, but there’s no obligation to do so

If the assessment doesn’t result in an autism diagnosis, I will still provide insights and recommendations tailored to your unique experiences. Many clients find this process valuable for understanding themselves and exploring other supports that may be helpful. I also want to reassure you that I confidentially discuss all of my assessments with a very experienced supervisor to ensure that I am providing the best service possible.

Not at this stage, I have several neurodiversity affirming colleagues who I can refer you to for support.

I provide a list of curated resources, including books, websites, and community groups that align with a neuroaffirming perspective (as far as I can tell). Additionally, I’m happy to suggest tools or strategies tailored to your specific goals.

While my practice focuses on assessments, I can refer you to trusted therapists or coaches who specialize in supporting neurodivergent adults. These professionals can help with areas like self-advocacy, relationships, or managing work and life challenges.